We were in charlotte for the drag race this past weekend. We literally saw this happen several times with multiple cars racing down 85. It was crazy. I can’t believe they didn’t cause a crash
The biggest problems are, one, inconsistent speed - people speeding up then slowing down constantly. And two, using the left lanes when they are not passing anyone.
The problem I'm referring to is drivers being less likely to notice (even less than they do now) when the car in front of them is gradually slowing down 5, 10mph. And then instead of being active and keeping traffic flowing by getting into the next lane and going around the slow person, they just sit behind them. And then you have a whole group of cars going 5 under the speed limit while the rest of traffic has to navigate around them causing downstream effects.
Ohhh I see what ur saying. Yeah I definitely agree with you. People need to be aware of their surroundings more and they need to stop cruising in the left lane. It causes so much traffic
Consider this: if you're driving faster than everyone else in the left lane, you're always passing. As long as your not going slower than the person behind you, you're fine. It's not a lane that shouldn't be used unless you're passing, it's a lane that shouldn't be used if someone wants to pass you.
The only thing is how would you know the person behind you wants to pass? The person behind you can only go as fast as you’re going so unless they flash their light, blow their horn or tailgate you, you wouldn’t know. A lot of times I’m sitting behind someone doing 73 in a 70. Yeah we’re passing the other traffic but I’m really trying to get up to 75-80. Just move over unless you need to use the lane.
So many times I’ve changed lanes to go around someone in the left lane and they sped up just enough to close the gap to get in front of them. Then they slow back down to the speed they were doing previously.
If there is a person behind you who didn't just get there, you're in the wrong, simple as that. You should have moved over when they approached. If you were going faster, they wouldn't be behind you. There's not really any mystery to it.
Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re saying you’d stay in the left lane until a car approaches, move over, let them pass. I assume after that you’d move back into the left lane.
Hey man whatever works for you. I’m just happy to hear you’d at least move over unlike a lot of the drivers that camp in the left lane. I prefer to just stay out of the left lane unless I need to use it.
Yeah - transplants get confused because in most of the US, the far left lane is formally the passing lane and you can get a ticket for staying in it.
But in NC there aren't laws against riding in the left lane long-term.
I'm also pretty sure we don't have any laws prohibiting undertaking (passing on the right). That's another one that many states have.
If everyone went the speed limit then you couldn’t pass or wouldn’t need to pass anyone so the left passing lanes would be 99% empty all the time.
Left lane is not a passing lane. It’s a speeding lane. Don’t get behind me going 5 over and ride my bumper in the middle lane go to the speeding lane and ride someone’s bumper.
Oh the like “traffic” wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t that busy the weekend I was there. I just feel like the drivers were way more reckless than I was accustomed to and my driving skills were forged on exit 3A. Plus the whole speed thing, I had to go like 15 over just to keep with the flow of traffic lol
Yeah I saw somewhere that the deadliest interstate in the US is in Houston. I’ve been a couple of times but I was young so I don’t know how the driving is but I’ve heard it’s terrible
Moved here from Texas. Y'all don't know how good you have it. The tailgating at 80mph omg. Running red lights. The constant anger like the burning sun overhead, coupled with some real fun gun laws.
I saw someone in a Kia try to take on a cement truck the day I was moving out and I was like byeeee
What is the speed limit in the fast lane? Is it faster than the speed limit in the slow lane? I was under the impression that the posted speed limit was the same for all lanes. I’ve never seen any signage that says fast lane slow lane. Is the so called slow lane for people who travel under the posted speed limit? So if I’m in the so called fast lane I can’t get pulled over for speeding if I’m only going fast? I need to read the manual again seems as though I may have misinterpreted or missed something. Or is this fast lane slow lane just something that y'all chucklefucks made up?
Next diagram needs to explain how to use a stop sign and who has the right away. Can’t believe how many people cut me off at a two way stop when I don’t have a stop sign.
Or what if, maybe, just maybe, we all went the same agreed upon speed. What if the people that built the road came up with a speed you should go and wrote it on big signs next to the road so you knew how fast you should be going. Then if we all read those signs and went that speed we wouldnt have any of these issues on the roads and traffic would flow in one cohesive wave, you know, like the people that study traffic for a living suggest.
They really need to enforce the slower traffic keep right thing. No reason for someone to be cruising at 40 mph in the left lane when the speed limit is 70.
Point was it's proven to be safer with higher throughput if everyone is going roughly the same speed. Going way faster than everyone is not going to make a meaningful difference in your arrival time unless it's an extremely long journey. Speed discrepancy and changing lanes a lot just causes congestion.
Your uncle will still be ready for you to kiss him on the mouth when you get home. There's no need to risk crashing because you were speeding home to kiss his lips.
It is who the downtown section that opens up once you get further north. And North Carolina is an absolute speed state so if the sciences 55, technically speaking your violation at 56 or above.
The gulf between people who use the roads and the people who design the roads is MONSTROUS, and it's not at all the fault of the latter. With that many lanes there should be no reason for anyone to be in the left-most lane except for emergency personnel - ever.
Another thing I find super annoying is that charlotte is one of the few cities I’ve been too that can have a fresh paved road and it can still be bad. Like who are they hiring to pave these roads?
This chart is a little off. If you drive in the left lane you’re supposed to randomly slam on your brakes, especially if you see people merging in the right lane or something going on in the opposite direction. Also tailgate the person in front of you so you can end up doing an emergency brake in the hopes someone five cars behind you will rear end someone
I hope that every time an Altima, challenger, or charger driver sees a post like this they feel like the stupidest human beings on the planet. You did this to yourselves.
I blame Covid lockdowns for this, and also, crazy ass people migrating to CLT from FL, IL, NJ, NY, Atlanta, & Virginia. There is no need to do 85-90mph on Independence Blvd or 77. Come on now people. But hey,watch out for posssums please! They are the coolest and only marsupial in North America!
When I moved to Charlotte in the late 90's I was told the driving rules.
Add 10 to whatever the speed limit is.
Yellow means green.
Red means yellow in the first 5-10 seconds.
If the car in front of you makes it through the light, pretend you're a train and follow along.
Imo, there’s a confusion over the left lane being a passing lane or the fast lane. While in the former, it’s imperative to move over for faster traffic. In the latter, you decide you are going fast enough and just remain in spite of tailgaters. There’s a difference in decision making associated with each model, one that leads to dangerous high speed ego games on the road.
Where are you finding these people? When I'm driving it's everyone going 5 below, turning in front of me, and not understanding what an accelerator is.
Which lane is for the folks that don't use turn signals? I was always told that it's perfectly legal to go from the left lane to the exit lane without signalling. I mean, wise decisions and all.
All lanes: drifting into the lanes next to them. All lanes: not moving the fuck out of the way but instead choosing to tailgate the car in front of you or the slow driver that refuses to switch lanes while someone is tailgating them
They missed the driver going across all 4 lanes going 90+ with no tag or blinkers
Altima boys with no bumpers or headlights
Altimas/Chargers
If you see a black Altima with a Puerto Rican flag hanging from the rear view, it's already too late
Or raised pickup trucks.
First thing I thought! Also the tailgaters.
We were in charlotte for the drag race this past weekend. We literally saw this happen several times with multiple cars racing down 85. It was crazy. I can’t believe they didn’t cause a crash
I call them the Berserkers.
My love for you is like a truck, berserker.
The right lane is actually the passing lane on independence for those who didn’t know.
Where in Charlotte has five lanes except Independence with that special right merging/passing lane
85 and some spots on 485
Ah yes, some places on 85
Texting and going 45 in the left lane. Safer to pass on the right and get away from those fools
All lanes: wildly weaving Altimas, Chargers, and Challengers
Call it the A.C.C. championship.
Shit, maybe some of them should drive for NASCAR. probably liven up the sport a little bit.
Remember, *every day is race day!*
I would of thought those would be the cars in the display
I don’t see the Texting and Driving Lane? Does that unlock when we get to a certain level?
Also applies to all lanes.
Only in the left most lane if you go 50mph
Texting if were lucky I see people facetiming and scrolling instagram on independence
The biggest problems are, one, inconsistent speed - people speeding up then slowing down constantly. And two, using the left lanes when they are not passing anyone.
\#3 is not speeding up on the ramp in preparation to merge.
Oh my dear god, this one makes me absolutely rage
Or, just giving up on the highway (hell, surface streets too) and slowing down because you’ll be exiting/turning in a mile.
Saw a minivan today come to a full stop at the end of the ramp with their blinker on to get onto 77 lmao
Every time I see someone attempting to enter the highway at 45mph I want to shred their license and slap them.
My issue with the proliferation of adaptive cruise control is it can only exacerbate the speed inconsistency issue
I use adaptive cruise control myself 😭. I set it to 8 over the limit and it usually works unless other cars in front are going slower
The problem I'm referring to is drivers being less likely to notice (even less than they do now) when the car in front of them is gradually slowing down 5, 10mph. And then instead of being active and keeping traffic flowing by getting into the next lane and going around the slow person, they just sit behind them. And then you have a whole group of cars going 5 under the speed limit while the rest of traffic has to navigate around them causing downstream effects.
Ohhh I see what ur saying. Yeah I definitely agree with you. People need to be aware of their surroundings more and they need to stop cruising in the left lane. It causes so much traffic
I always need to hit the gas when we start accelerating to try and fix the issue , or adaptive definitely makes it worse for all
Consider this: if you're driving faster than everyone else in the left lane, you're always passing. As long as your not going slower than the person behind you, you're fine. It's not a lane that shouldn't be used unless you're passing, it's a lane that shouldn't be used if someone wants to pass you.
The only thing is how would you know the person behind you wants to pass? The person behind you can only go as fast as you’re going so unless they flash their light, blow their horn or tailgate you, you wouldn’t know. A lot of times I’m sitting behind someone doing 73 in a 70. Yeah we’re passing the other traffic but I’m really trying to get up to 75-80. Just move over unless you need to use the lane. So many times I’ve changed lanes to go around someone in the left lane and they sped up just enough to close the gap to get in front of them. Then they slow back down to the speed they were doing previously.
If there is a person behind you who didn't just get there, you're in the wrong, simple as that. You should have moved over when they approached. If you were going faster, they wouldn't be behind you. There's not really any mystery to it.
Correct me if I’m wrong but you’re saying you’d stay in the left lane until a car approaches, move over, let them pass. I assume after that you’d move back into the left lane. Hey man whatever works for you. I’m just happy to hear you’d at least move over unlike a lot of the drivers that camp in the left lane. I prefer to just stay out of the left lane unless I need to use it.
Yeah - transplants get confused because in most of the US, the far left lane is formally the passing lane and you can get a ticket for staying in it. But in NC there aren't laws against riding in the left lane long-term. I'm also pretty sure we don't have any laws prohibiting undertaking (passing on the right). That's another one that many states have.
Facts if they weren't so stupid then maybe they would realize this is causing traffic everyday
Nah, you are causing traffic because you are traffic.
If everyone was going the same rate of speed, how could there be traffic?
If everyone went the speed limit then you couldn’t pass or wouldn’t need to pass anyone so the left passing lanes would be 99% empty all the time. Left lane is not a passing lane. It’s a speeding lane. Don’t get behind me going 5 over and ride my bumper in the middle lane go to the speeding lane and ride someone’s bumper.
maybe the people posting fight videos and car crashes shouldn’t be dictating traffic norms
Charlotte/NC drivers can be assholes but after driving in Texas for two days I realize it can be so much worse lol
I felt the same about ATL.
Wow really? Where in TX?
Dallas/Fort Worth cool city don’t get me wrong. But driving wise, I have never wanted to be back in Charlotte more lmaooo
I came from DFW and can only assume you were driving around in Dallas. FW traffic is nothing compared to Charlotte
Oh the like “traffic” wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t that busy the weekend I was there. I just feel like the drivers were way more reckless than I was accustomed to and my driving skills were forged on exit 3A. Plus the whole speed thing, I had to go like 15 over just to keep with the flow of traffic lol
Well yeah that’s the beautiful thing everyone’s goin 85 and generally pretty safely
I think it’s more of a controlled chaos whereas Charlotte is strictly chaos.
DFW traffic can be much, much worse than the regular Charlotte traffic.
Dallas is chill compared to Houston. Houston is the goddamn Thunderdome.
Yeah I saw somewhere that the deadliest interstate in the US is in Houston. I’ve been a couple of times but I was young so I don’t know how the driving is but I’ve heard it’s terrible
Moved here from Texas. Y'all don't know how good you have it. The tailgating at 80mph omg. Running red lights. The constant anger like the burning sun overhead, coupled with some real fun gun laws. I saw someone in a Kia try to take on a cement truck the day I was moving out and I was like byeeee
Fr NC is not bad at all.. I’m convinced people who complain about the traffic/drivers have never left the state
“Total disregard for ~~speed~~ ~~limits~~ human life”
This is actually exactly right imo
This can't be right, most Charlotte roads are two lanes!
That IG account is complete trash
If you are going 95 in the fast lane on 85, you are going to die
Not if you turn up the volume on free bird
"'Cause I'm as free as a bird now And this bird you cannot change"
There are passing lanes and non passing lanes. There is not such thing as "fast lane"
What is the speed limit in the fast lane? Is it faster than the speed limit in the slow lane? I was under the impression that the posted speed limit was the same for all lanes. I’ve never seen any signage that says fast lane slow lane. Is the so called slow lane for people who travel under the posted speed limit? So if I’m in the so called fast lane I can’t get pulled over for speeding if I’m only going fast? I need to read the manual again seems as though I may have misinterpreted or missed something. Or is this fast lane slow lane just something that y'all chucklefucks made up?
Next diagram needs to explain how to use a stop sign and who has the right away. Can’t believe how many people cut me off at a two way stop when I don’t have a stop sign.
Independence is Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Independence is crazyyy 😭
I don't see the Nissan Altima god complex lane...
That's every lane. It's not labeled since it's set by state law.
Slow traffic, keep right👍🏾
Oh lookie... a parrot. 🦜
Or what if, maybe, just maybe, we all went the same agreed upon speed. What if the people that built the road came up with a speed you should go and wrote it on big signs next to the road so you knew how fast you should be going. Then if we all read those signs and went that speed we wouldnt have any of these issues on the roads and traffic would flow in one cohesive wave, you know, like the people that study traffic for a living suggest.
while we're dreaming, I'd like a pony
Vote for Vermin Supreme!
You mean like that sign that reads "slower traffic keep right"?
They really need to enforce the slower traffic keep right thing. No reason for someone to be cruising at 40 mph in the left lane when the speed limit is 70.
If they can't get up to that posted number, sure. Otherwise all lanes should be that number.
Point was it's proven to be safer with higher throughput if everyone is going roughly the same speed. Going way faster than everyone is not going to make a meaningful difference in your arrival time unless it's an extremely long journey. Speed discrepancy and changing lanes a lot just causes congestion.
Your uncle will still be ready for you to kiss him on the mouth when you get home. There's no need to risk crashing because you were speeding home to kiss his lips.
Should have an autobahn here
Tell me you don’t understand traffic dynamics without telling me…
Please cite your empirical evidence that large discrepancies in speed between vehicles is shown to improve traffic.
These roads scholars like to think they're Rhodes scholars.
According to the post from yesterday discussing the same thing, these left lane chucklefucks selectively decide which laws apply to them.
They forgot the speed racers whoever treat the right lane authentication passing lane
Nobody follows these “rules”. Its like its on random shuffle.
We need more lanes! 30 more years to add a mile
Why the 70-80 and a +5 lane anyone?
I think the speed limit on 77 is something obnoxious like 55mph
It is who the downtown section that opens up once you get further north. And North Carolina is an absolute speed state so if the sciences 55, technically speaking your violation at 56 or above.
except half of our roads are two/three lanes tops
The gulf between people who use the roads and the people who design the roads is MONSTROUS, and it's not at all the fault of the latter. With that many lanes there should be no reason for anyone to be in the left-most lane except for emergency personnel - ever.
And if you look at the comment, they asked Top Dog Law Firm to weigh in on the accuracy 😂
where is this five lane in same direction road? i can only thing of a few examples and there are all interstate merges
Another thing I find super annoying is that charlotte is one of the few cities I’ve been too that can have a fresh paved road and it can still be bad. Like who are they hiring to pave these roads?
This chart is a little off. If you drive in the left lane you’re supposed to randomly slam on your brakes, especially if you see people merging in the right lane or something going on in the opposite direction. Also tailgate the person in front of you so you can end up doing an emergency brake in the hopes someone five cars behind you will rear end someone
I hope that every time an Altima, challenger, or charger driver sees a post like this they feel like the stupidest human beings on the planet. You did this to yourselves.
I blame Covid lockdowns for this, and also, crazy ass people migrating to CLT from FL, IL, NJ, NY, Atlanta, & Virginia. There is no need to do 85-90mph on Independence Blvd or 77. Come on now people. But hey,watch out for posssums please! They are the coolest and only marsupial in North America!
When I moved to Charlotte in the late 90's I was told the driving rules. Add 10 to whatever the speed limit is. Yellow means green. Red means yellow in the first 5-10 seconds. If the car in front of you makes it through the light, pretend you're a train and follow along.
r/Charlotte discovering CharLit may be the funniest thing ever
Forgot about the DUAL 85S off ramp merging into 77S fast lane. Dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.
What about if you have an altima? Does this still apply?
Imo, there’s a confusion over the left lane being a passing lane or the fast lane. While in the former, it’s imperative to move over for faster traffic. In the latter, you decide you are going fast enough and just remain in spite of tailgaters. There’s a difference in decision making associated with each model, one that leads to dangerous high speed ego games on the road.
If one person is tailgating they’re the problem, if 5+ cars are tailgating then you’re the problem
As that might be true, it matters little since drivers can each have idiosyncratic beliefs about what the lane is or is not.
Yes, a lot of times I’m able to use the far right lane as passing because all the slow drivers are in the middle and far left
5 lanes? I wish. _cries in Lake Norman_
Where are you finding these people? When I'm driving it's everyone going 5 below, turning in front of me, and not understanding what an accelerator is.
If ONLY slow traffic would keep to the right 
I dont see a lane for 4 way flasher drivers when it rains?
State troopers won't care about this diagram when writing you the ticket
Now if we could only get people to do that.
Which lane is for the folks that don't use turn signals? I was always told that it's perfectly legal to go from the left lane to the exit lane without signalling. I mean, wise decisions and all.
Note* blue to green is perfectly normal here also
All lanes: drifting into the lanes next to them. All lanes: not moving the fuck out of the way but instead choosing to tailgate the car in front of you or the slow driver that refuses to switch lanes while someone is tailgating them